San Clemente, California: Laid-Back Coastal Town with Spanish Colonial Architecture

Set on the coast about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, San Clemente is a nice retreat from city life. Its beach is low-key and known for having some of the best surfing in Orange County. But people don’t just come for the waves; there’s also a quaint pier and oceanfront eateries, and the coastline hasn’t been overdeveloped. It’s a laid-back area and a nice place to relax—there are swing sets and pits set aside for sunset bonfires. If you want to stay active, though, you can swim and fish just off the shore. San Clemente also has miles of biking trails, including some that wind through Camp Pendleton—the country’s largest Marine Corps base.

When San Clemente was founded in the 1920s, it was envisioned as a Spanish-style resort town. You can see some evidence of that plan in the architecture here, including red-tile roofs typical of Spanish-colonial architecture. Avenida Del Mar is the main artery of the village, and it’s lined with shops and restaurants. There are a number of galleries in town, as well as Casa Romantica, which was the home of San Clemente’s founder and now serves as a cultural center. Exhibits here typically showcase works by local artists.